PINT OF SCIENCE FESTIVAL
13-15 MAY 2024
.png)
Universal Basic Income - Dream or Nightmare?
What if the government would give you free money? Would you still go to work? Would you spend it on booze? Would you volunteer more? What would society look like if everyone would have money for basic sustenance? More and more countries are considering the Universal Basic Income (UBI) as an alternative to welfare - Finland and Canada wrapped up a trial, India might adopt a national program, while in the US it’s becoming a presidential campaign topic. Still, people don’t seem to agree what UBI is or how it should be implemented. Not sure what side to take? Don’t worry, we have the perfect researchers to answer your questions!
Universal Basic Income: A Radical Proposal for a New Welfare State?
Marc-Antoine Sabaté
PhD Student in Political Science
Université libre de Bruxelles
Since the aftermaths of the 2008 financial crisis, a new and global wave of support in favour of UBI has risen. According to its supporters, UBI would be a key answer to rising inequalities, persistent poverty, and growing automation.
The understanding of the nature of the citizen’s wage and basic income has varied over the years. That’s why we need to shed some light on the political and economic contexts UBI has emerged from. Join us for a fresh approach on one of the most debated policy topics – can UBI fix the current welfare system?
Photo credit: TED Ideas
The prospects for a European universal basic income: from justification to implementation
François Denuit
PhD Fellow, Political and social sciences
Université libre de Bruxelles
Whilst the discussions about UBI remain mostly centered on its justification and design at the national level, the proposals for an involvement of the European Union (EU) in social protection typically rely on conditional forms of social benefits based on means-tests and work requirements. Some have bridged the gap and argued in favour of a modest European universal basic income (EUBI), or ‘eurodividend’. But what is this proposal exactly about? Is the EUBI a worthwhile policy? What are the potential steps towards its implementation? Join the debate and let's find out!
Photo credit: Wall Street Journal
